Grids



July 10, 1962 E. A. MARRY GRIDS Filed Apr128, 1958 ATT 3,043,407

54m A Mme/War:-

l S' Ari-04206)' f-w-x- 3,043,407 GS Earl A. Marryatt, Closter, NJ.,assigner, by mesne assignments, to Marryatt Lane & Co., Inc., Fort Lee,NJ., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Apr. 28, 1958, Ser. No. 731,339 2Claims. (Cl. 189-34) This invention relates to grids in general and moreespecially to grids for catwalks on ships, sidewalk coverings for streetopenings, and the like.

Among fthe objects of the present invention it is aimed to provide animproved grid which can be produced out of aluminum extruded in strips,which strips in turn vmay with facility be interlocked securely toanchor adjacent strips to one another, and which interlocking can beeffected expeditiously and with a minimum of labor.

These and other features, capabilities, and advantages of the presentinvention will appear from the subjoined detailed description of onespecific embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. l is an exploded end view of a complete ygrid and portion of a gridpreparatory to being interlocked.

FIG. 2 is a fragmental end view enlarged of the` two interlockingadjacent edges of a grid in their initial inter-locking position.

' FIG. 3 is a fragmental enlarged end view similar to FIG. 2 showing theadjacent `interlocking edges of two `grids in their iinal interlockedposition.

FIG. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of FIG. 3 where the entire length ofthe interlocking lip is rolled over in nal interlocking position.

FIG. 5 is a section similar to FIG. 4 showing only spaced apart areas ofthe interlocking lip rolled over or stamped into interlocking position.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 inclusive, the grid 1 consistsessentially of a platform 2, three intermediate laterally extendingsupporting `beams 3, 4' and 5 extending downwardly from the platform 2and two complemental interlocking laterally extending terminalsupporting beams `6 and 7. The platform 2 in the present instance has aplain, smooth surface -8 intermediate the longitudinally extending endridges 9 and I10, in the present instance parallel to the supportingbeams `6 and 7 respectively.

The supporting beam `6 has an arcuate tongue 11 intermediate its upperVand lower end and a lip 12 extending parallel to theupper face 8 of theplatform 2 and from the lower end of the beam 6. Both the tongue 11 andlip 12 extend outwardly of the grid 1. In the interest of rigidity thelower ends 13, 14 and 15 ofthe beams 3, 4 and 5 are enlarged triangularformations as shown in FIG. l.

The curve of the tongue 11 is preferably concentric to a center disposedin the plane of the platform 2 with at least the outer portion of thetongue 11 inclining upwardly as shown from a vertical position lforabout 30. The upper face of the lip 12 preferably inclines away from thesurface `8 of the platform Z so that it will clear an arc described fromthe corner or angle of the upper face 113 with the outer face 114 o-fthe beam 6 and baving the same center as the arc of the outer arcuate-faces of the tongue 11. This relationship of the faces of the tongue 11to the faces 113 and 114 of the beam `6 is to facilitate rock-ing thebeam 6 into interlocking relationship with the beam 7 as shown in FIG.2.

The beam 7 has an enlargement 115 at its lower end with a plain verticalface 16 on its outer side and the enlargement 115 formed into a bulgingface 17. In addition, the beam 7 also has an arcuate recess 18conforming to the shape of the tongue 11 but slightly larger than3,043,407. Patented lJuly 10, 1962 .lf-ice thesame in order to enablethe tongue `11 of an adjacent grid 1 to slide into the recess 18 asshown in FIGS. 2 and 3. r[The arcs of th opposite vfaces of the recess18 are described from a center that lies substantially in the surface 8of the platform 2. Obviously the lower face of the tongue 11 will alsobe arcuate, the arc of which is described from a center substantially inthe surface 8 of the platform 2, see FIGS. 2 and 3.

Preferably the tongue 11 and recess 18 are disposed about one-third thedistance from the surface 8 of the lower face of the beam `6. With thisrelationshipvtwo adjacent grids 1 may be initially interlocked byrocking one edge relative to the other so that the tongue 111 of onegrid 1 will ride into the recess 18 of an adjacent grid and the upperface 13 of the lip 12 clear the lower edge of the beam 7.

After the two adjacent grids are so interlocked with one another inorder to anchor the same against accidental displacement, the lip 12 mayeither be rolled over the bulge 15 the entire length of the two grids asshown in FIG. 4 or else merely intermittently spaced areas 19 of the lip12 rolled over or pressed over on to the bulging portion 15 as shown inFIG. 5.

Excellent results have been achieved when the grid 1 made as illustratedin end View in FIG. l is composed of aluminum extruded in strips thoughobviously the grid may be composed of other metals and the like withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

The beam 7 is shorter than the beam `6 to clear the lip 12 when the beam`6 of one grid is rocked into interlocking engagement with the beam 7 ofan adjacent grid.

'Ihe beam -6 has a shoulder forming rib 20 'forming a recess with thetongue 11 so that in an interlocked position of the beam 6 of one gridwith the beam 7 of an adjacent grid, the shoulder forming rib 20 willrest in the nose forming recess 21 formed in the beam 7 above theprojection or nose 22 which is spaced from the surface 8 of the platform2. With this relationship, if an adhesive or cement 23 such as epoxyresin is poured into the recess 18, then when the tongue 11 of a beam 6of an adjacent grid is inserted into the recess 1S and the nose 22engages the shoulder forming rib Ztl it will intimately press the upperface of the tongue 11 into engagement with the upper face of the recess18 and with the assistance of the cement form a fiuidtight joint hetweenthe adjacent grids.

Excellent results have also been achieved when the lip 12 remained inthe position shown in FiG. 2 without being rolled up in part or in itsentirety.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made to thedetails of construction in the machine and in the steps of the methodwithout departing from the general scope of the invention as set forthin the appended claims.

l claim:

1. The combination of a plurality of adjacent grids, each gridconsisting of a platform, intermediate supporting beams extendingdownwardly therefrom, a iirst side bea/m extending down from the oneside of said platform and having a main arcuate recess, av second sidebeam extending down from the opposite side of said platform and havingan arcuate tongue conforming to said recess with the recess of one gridreceiving the tongue of an adjacent grid, said second side beam having alaterally extending lip at its lower end, the upper face of said liplinclining laterally downward, said first beam being shorter than saidsecond beam clearing the lip of the second beam of an adjacent grid andinterlocking with the second beam of an adjacent grid, the arcuate outerfaces of said tongue and recess having its ends nearer the upper face ofsaid platform than its intermediate portion being described by a radiuscentering substantially on a plane which runs through the upper face ofsaid platform and the upper face of said lip clearing an arc describedby a' radius also centering substantially on -a plane which runs throughthe upper face of said platform to facilitatev rocking adjacent lateraledges of adjacent grids into interlocking engagement with one another, atangent through the are of said outer faces being parallel to the planeextending through said platform, the upper facial areas of said platformadjacent its lateral edges having longitudinally extending ridges, andan inwardly extending enlargement at the lower end of said rst lateralbeam and the lip of one of said grids rolled over the enlargement ofan-adjacent grid urging the 'lower faces of Ysaid tongue and recess intoengagement with one another.

2. The combination of a plurality of adjacent grids each grid consistingof a platform, intermediate supporting beams extending downwardlytherefrom, a first side beam extending down from the one side of saidplatform and having a main arcuate recess, a second side beam extendingdown from the opposite side of said platform and having an arcuatetongue conforming to said recess with the recess of one grid receivingthe tongue of an adjacent grid, said second side beam having a lateral-1y extending lip at its lower end, the .upper face of said lip inclininglaterally downward, said irst `beam being shorter than ,said second beamclearing the lip of the second beam of an adjacent grid and interlockingwith the second beam of an adjacent grid, the arcuate outer faces ofsaid tongue and recess having its ends nearer the upper face of saidplatform than its intermediate portion being described by a radiuscentering substantially on a of said tongue and recess into engagementwith one another.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,706,92A Kane Mar. 26, 1929 1,888,936 Sachs a Nov. 22, 1932 1,891,740Westerman Dec. 20, 1932 1,913,342 Schaffert ana June 6, 1933 2,064,276Strattard Dec. 15, 1936- 2,()82,431 Tripp June 1, 1937 2,142,305 DavisIan. 3, 1939 2,164,681 Fould July 4, 1939 2,742,121 Liskey Apr. 17, 19562,926,928 Bennett i Mar. 1, 1960 FOREIGN PATENT 31,804 Norway 1921719,751 Great Britain 1954 OTHER REFERENCES Designing with AluminumExtrusion by Reynolds Metal Co., page 14, May 1952.

